astray recipes: Seafood chili

Categories: Chili
Yield: 6 servings

Measure	Ingredient
¼ cup	Olive oil
2 cups	Chopped onions
2	Leeks, white part only,
	Trimmed and chopped
1	Large celery stalk, chopped
8	Garlic cloves, minced
5 teaspoons	Dried oregano, pref. Mexican
35 ounces	Italian plum tomatoes,
	Undrained if canned
16 ounces	Clam juice
2 cups	Dry red wine
½ cup	"Santa Cruz Red Chili Paste"
5 teaspoons	Freshly toasted cumin seed
1 tablespoon	Salt
1 teaspoon	Cayenne pepper
2	Red Bell peppers, seeded,
	Deveined, 1/2 inch dice
12	Littleneck clams
12	Mussels, scrubbed
	And debearded
1½ pounds	Scrod or other lean white
	Fish, cut into 1 inch pieces
12	Large shrimp, peeled and
	Deveined
¾ pounds	Bay scallops
½ cup	Minced fresh cilantro
	(Chinese parsley, coriander)

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over low heat. Add onion, leeks, and celery. Cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, cook another 10 minutes then add tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon. Blend in the clam juice, wine, chili paste*, cumin, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil, skimming occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour, skimming. Mix in bell peppers. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Cool.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bring chili to a boil. Adjust heat so that liquid simmers briskly.

Skim well and adjust seasonings. Add clams and mussels. Cover and cook until shellfish open, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Gently stir in scrod and shrimp. Cover and simmer for a minute. Add scallops, cover and simmer until fish is just opaque, about 2 minutes.

Ladle chili into bowls. Top with cilantro.

"Santa Cruz Red Chili Paste" is available from The Santa Cruz Chili and Spice Co., P.O. Box 177, Tumacacori, AZ 65640.

seafood chili